Smart to Sell Small Nissan Model in the U.S. Next Year: The Smart forfive

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Struggling with diminished sales, Daimler’s Smart Car division will expand its lineup in the U.S. with a new Nissan-made small car. The subcompact five-door will be powered by a gasoline engine and go on sale late next year.

As a B-segment car, this subcompact fits in a class with models like the Honda Fit, Ford Fiesta, Mazda2, Toyota Yaris and Chevy Aveo.

“The new vehicle will expand Smart USA’s product lineup, offering five-seat capacity while maintaining the core principles of efficiency and conservation,” Smart USA President Jill Lajdziak said in the statement.

While neither automaker has commented on the product, it will likely be based on Nissan’s new global Micra platform, which comes with a choice of either a 1.2L three-cylinder gasoline engine rated at 79 hp or a supercharged 1.2L direct injection engine version. And considering Smart’s naming strategy, we expect the new model to be called the Smart forfive.